Keeping You Up to Date

Eight BB&N Student-Athletes Sign Letters of Intent

No area school was as busy as BB&N on National Signing Day, as the School’s Stonestreet Lounge was filled to the max to watch eight seniors from the football as well as other teams sign on with outstanding colleges and athletic programs. Head football coach John Papas was overwhelmed to watch eight of his players sign letters of intent—five of them with Division One programs.

“There is a real sigh of relief that these kids are at good homes, at good schools playing for good coaches,” Papas said. “The beauty of it is that it’s a group that not only did it on the field but in the classroom as well. They’re all going to great academic places.”

As the students signed their letters of intent, parents and other students cheered them on. The students receiving scholarships are: Mike McCaffrey (Boston College, football), Blake Barker (Harvard, football), Andre Joseph (Cornell, football), Alex Farkes (Penn State, baseball), Derek Papagianopoulos (Virginia, wrestling), Paul Gallagher (Colby, football), Mark Sneed (Colby, football), and Quinn Cronan (Middlebury, football and lacrosse). Top

Athletics Spring Season Information

Click Here to read a letter from Athletic Director Rick Foresteire ’86, which details important athletic department information for the Spring 2010 season. Top

Middle Schoolers Compete in Homeroom Olympics

As American athletes competed for gold in Vancouver this winter, BB&N Middle School students competed for glory and bragging rights of their own in the annual Middle School Olympics. Several times a year, Middle School homerooms are broken into groups of three, and then tasked with a series of competitions in which they attempt to best the other homerooms.

This winter’s action included an intense game of charades, and hotly contested “build a house of cards race,” to name a few.

“It’s really cool how much the students get into it, and it’s great for class spirit,” says math teacher Gus Means. “The kids even created elaborate flags to accompany their homerooms.” Top

Lovett-Woodsum ’10 Snares Sportsmanship Award

Senior Cam Lovett-Woodsum has been selected as the recipient of the Colonel Bernard Gorfinkle Award, bestowed by the United States Tennis Association to the New England Boys 18-and-under player who has exemplified outstanding sportsmanship on and off the court throughout his career. Lovett-Woodsum will receive his award at a ceremony on March 6. Top

Black History Month Celebrated at Lower School

Lower School students took time in February to celebrate Black History Month with an assembly. The achievements of famous African-American leaders, athletes, and musicians were recognized through a series of songs, poetry, and readings. Top

Ten BB&N Students Named National Merit Finalists

Upper School Director Jack Knapp announced at the February 23rd assembly that 10 seniors had been named as National Merit Finalists this year. As Dr. Knapp noted, “We have 10 students in a graduating class of 117; that must surely yield one of the highest percentages for a school in the country. A hearty congratulations to the following National Merit Finalists: Jessica Brodsky, Daniel Burnett, Eli Burstein, Elena Kingston, Abhi Mitra, Jessica Mulligan, David Ottenheimer, Karen Su, Samuel Wallis, and Elizabeth Wang. Top

Dr. Megan Sandel Kicks Off Food Drive at Middle School

Dr. Megan Sandel, a pediatrician at Boston Medical Center, recently spoke to Middle School students on the serious problem of hunger and malnutrition in the greater Boston area and the importance of the Have-a-Heart Food Drive. By providing food, education in nutrition, and cooking demonstrations to nearly 5,000 patients per month, BMC is able to effectively fight against the ravages of malnutrition and hunger with both preventive and therapeutic measures. Top

Upper Schoolers Found New Improv Troupe & Glee Club

Two first-year clubs are taking the hallways and classrooms of the Upper School by storm with a whole new genre of comedy and song. Inspired by the hit Fox television show Glee, which features the crazy antics of a high school glee club, Amy Kilzer ’11 decided to form her own singing group based on the show. Advisor Tim Kendrick, also an avid Glee fan, says the club meets during Activities and X-Block to discuss the show as well as plan performances with choreography to match. While both the show and the club have been on a recent hiatus, they hope to start performing again in early April.

Thespian Kerry Matlack ’12 has also formed a brand new improv comedy troupe, aptly named The Knight Shift. Based on shows such as Whose Line is it Anyway?, the group creates spontaneous short scenes based on a game, structure, or an audience suggestion. Top

Changes in US History Curriculum Next Year

A note from Upper School History/Social Sciences Department Head Gustavo Carrera (pictured above) about upcoming changes to the History curriculum:

During the 2004-05 academic year, BB&N’s B-12 History and Social studies curriculum underwent a self-study. Recognizing the importance of educating global citizens for the 21st century, the US History Department committed itself to incorporating the study of European and American History into a Global context. Pursuing that goal, the History Department first created a two-year World History sequence for freshmen and sophomores as well as a two-year course that explores the role of the United States in the World. These changes were accomplished over a four-year period in a methodical and deliberate manner.

In order to complete this paradigm shift, the History Department will now take a step further. Next year, the AP European History course, currently offered as a Sophomore elective, will become a Senior Elective. The course will still be available to current freshmen; current sophomores and juniors who have not taken European History will have another opportunity to take it. In addition, Western and Modern European History will be more tightly incorporated into the current World History sequence; thus next year’s course catalog will have one offering for freshmen (Early World Civilizations) and two offerings for sophomores (Modern World History and U.S. in the Modern World I). The two-year World History sequence will give students a common foundation that will help them understand the global community we live in. Then students will be able to delve in-depth into the History of the United States in their junior year and into areas of their interest, including European History, in their senior year. Top

Voices of the Knight Featured on the Web

When the Upper School’s female
a capella group, Voices of the Knight, performed in the Wick Choral Festival at St. Mark’s School on February 5th, little did the students realize that they would become a web sensation shortly after. The group’s performance of the song, This Love, by The Veronicas, was posted as the “Video of the Week” on the pop duo’s massively popular website in mid-February. Click here to see the video clip. Top

Morse Building Film Festival Celebrates 22nd Anniversary

During the coldest of the winter months a fun tradition was continued this year at the annual Morse Building Film Festival.

“This has been going on since waaaay back before you were born, over 20 years in all,” Librarian Lynda Dugas informed a rapt audience of Beginners, Kindergarteners, and First Graders. “They used to have to drag out an old film projector and tape paper over the windows—now we are lucky enough to have a smartboard!”

Begun as a way to fight the winter blues back in 1988, Morse building students watch three short films every morning for one week in February each year, munching popcorn flavored snacks and sipping juice to complete the theater experience.

The films are based on children’s books which students are then encouraged to read or take out of the library. This year’s triple feature included Musical Max by Robert Kraus, The Adventures of Taxi Dog by Debra Barracca, and The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble. Top

Wrestlers Finish First in New England Invitational

In a credit to the team members’ extraordinary commitment and skill, BB&N’s varsity wrestlers finished at the top of the 13 teams competing in the New England Invitational Tournament at the Hyde School in Woodstock, Conn., in early February. Six of seven wrestlers pinned in the finals to overtake Worcester Academy and Milton Academy by one point.

Champions were Cliff Cody (112 lb.), Greg Faxon (135 lb.), Noah Randall (140 lb.), Fil Cody (145 lb.), and Derek Papagianopoulos (285 lb.). Senior Greg Faxon (pictured above, atop a Moses Brown opponent) was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.

Both Faxon and Papagianopoulos achieved National Prep All American status (top 8 in weight class) at the championships held at Lehigh University during the last weekend in February. BB&N placed in the top quarter of the over 100 teams participating (4th among New England schools). Top

Manguito Brings the Beat to Lower School

The Lower School Gymnasium resonated with the joyous sound of Latin American music last month when Manguito visited the School. Comprised of five internationally known Latin American musicians, the band took students on an interactive musical tour of the Caribbean as they played the rhythms of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic on a variety of musical instruments.

Students participated throughout the presentation through sing-alongs, clapping rhythms, playing instruments, and dancing.  The rumba, bomba, plena, and Dominican meringue never sounded so good!

In addition to the auditory workout, the program provided students with an appreciation of the unique fusion of Spanish, African, and Native American cultures in Latino culture. Top